Project S Book 3
by proman232
Summary: May God have mercy... *FINAL CHPT UP*
1. Sights Few Have Seen

The warm embrace of death held me close. She was like a gentle lover, one who was easily pleased with whatever she was given, and would gladly reciprocate. I was drawn to her for so long, wanting nothing more than to enclose myself in her strong, yet soft arms. And now, I had finally done what no bullet wound, deep laceration, or blast injury had ever been able to accomplish. My life's goal complete, I sat back, and watched as all of creation streamed past, moving ever forward into its own oblivion. For once, I could see why he wanted me to do all those asinine things for his employers. Creation was beautiful. It was a shame only death could show me. I had much to learn.

Suddenly, I could see far off, a set of seven gems. They called to me, beckoning me closer. "...find us, you must find us..." The words were faint. Suddenly, the gems were replaced by a man, who seemed very familiar. That was impossible, since I had never seen him in my life. He, too, called to me, much clearer than the gems. "You must brave the darkness, my son, for you carry the torch of freedom."

I felt myself pulled away from death's tender embrace, towards the plane of mortality. I fought against it, not wanting to go back to the hell that had twisted me for 5000 years. "Fear not, young one." The voice of death was even more tender than her hold. "You no longer need to fear the unending torment. We shall see each other again." Reassured by her words, I began the slow descent back into life, and suddenly, everything went black.


	2. Testing

The tubes in my mouth and nose suddenly withdrew, leaving me gasping for air. I panicked, not sure where I was, or how I got there. I could see a figure through the glass tube. It seemed to be pointing upwards. I looked up, and saw the top of the tube was open. I swam up, and broke the surface of the liquid, spluttering as I tried to catch my breath. I waited a moment, then pulled myself out of the tube. I noticed a towel and some clothes on a bench by the door to the room. I dried off, then dressed in the simple clothes. White shirt, gray sweatpants, black hoodie and white socks. No shoes.

I approached the door. I tried to open it, but it wouldn't budge. Thinking a moment, I tried the keypad. Standard alphanumeric keypad. Looking closely, I could see the keys had visible stress marks from constant use. Above the keypad was a riddle. "1,2,3,5,7,11,13,17,19. What am I?" This made no sense for a moment. They were all prime numbers. Looking at the keypad again, I noticed the keys with the most stress were numbers 1 through 7. I suddenly deciphered the code. To open the door, I had to spell out the answer to the riddle. Prime number was the answer, so the code was 66352575126. The door opened.

Stepping out into the empty hallway, I noticed more doors similar to the one I had just opened. No doubt each one had a similar puzzle to open it. I was at the end of the hall. I headed to the other end, keeping alert for anything that tried to jump me. I only had my fists and feet, but they would be more than enough to disable an attacker. I came to another door. Above the keypad was another message. "Try to figure this one out. No hints this time." I examined the keys. This time, it was a simple numeric pad. I could see the keys used were 2, 5, 6, and 9. I ran through all possible combinations in my head. I tried the first three with no success. On the fourth try, the door opened.

The next room held a series of obstacles. The message scrawled on the wall said, "Good job. See if you can make it through here." I made my way through, jumping pipes, crawling through vents, and climbing fences. No sweat. At the end of the room, another keypad taunted me. "We cannot see the future, unless we look to the past." I turned around. On the back of the obstacles were numbers. The way they were arranged gave the code: 172943. The door opened to reveal the next test.

The next message read, "Very good. Let's see how strong you are." I looked at the setup. There was a gap in the middle of the room. Smooth walls, About twelve feet deep, ten feet across. A set of pipes hung above the gap. If I tried to jump it, I would hit them, and fall into the gap. Two crates, about five feet high, sat next to the gap. The idea was simple. Push the crates into the gap, and use them t cross. I pushed one crate, but it barely moved. I seemed to weigh a ton. I pushed anyway, and eventually got the box in the gap. The next box felt like it weighed double. I dropped it in the gap, and hopped across. The next keypad was untouched. "Length by depth, in base 13." Taking a moment to calculate the answer, I entered 93 onto the keypad. The door opened, and I headed through.

"Almost there. One last test. Find the real door." I examined the doors. There were six, all identical. As soon as the door I entered through closed, I became disoriented. I could not tell any door apart from the others. They all had light showing through the bottom. I decided to try to see what was on the other side. Crouching in front of each door, I could feel air coming from one of them. That one had to be the one I was after I opened the door, and inside was...


	3. Intel

_Elise sat on the couch, looking out at the city. Five years ago, this had begun. After Alex had killed the daemon at the cost of his own life, she had sent Captain Tyrell to retrieve the body. He had returned some hours later with the news that the body was missing. There didn't seem to be any sign of anyone else in the valley. This convinced Elise that he was still alive. So she sent Capt. Tyrell on a mission to scour the globe for any signs of Alex. Shortly afterward, Dr. Eggman returned, announcing his intent to dominate the world. He claimed that he had a powerful new weapon and vast armies to march across the planet. Many nations simply laughed off the threats. They quickly realized their mistake. With untold amounts of robot soldiers behind him, and a new creature composed of liquid Chaos energy, Eggman quickly showed the world why they should have surrendered. _

_Chaos, the liquid being, was instantly recognized by Sonic, who had pacified him years before. He believed it would be easy to bring him down. He was wrong. He had engaged the creature as it attempted to reach the palace in Soleanna. The beast fought with a strength previously unknown. Eggman had gloated about using a new power source: Artificial Chaos Energy, or ACE. Though it paled in comparison to the Chaos Emeralds, it was still potent. In just a few short minutes, the Fastest Thing Alive fell, and the whole world was demoralized. Eggman then marched into the palace to find the throne commanded by one of the chief advisors. He tried to resist, and was executed. Eggman then begun to wreak havoc on the rest of North America._

_Meanwhile, Elise had fled to Station Square, 5 miles south of Soleanna, and 7 miles west of the United States. Rouge offered her the use of her penthouse on top of Casinopolis. From there, she quickly began to organize civilians into relief groups. When Eggman came to the city, they took up arms against him. She was quick to contact other resistance groups around the world, becoming one of the ringleaders of the Alliance of Resistant Factions. But, even with GUN, the world's militaries, and the Alliance fighting bravely, within three years, Eggman conquered the world. Two years following, he had yet to accomplish his goal of finding the Chaos Emeralds, having only claimed one. Chaos, meanwhile was found to have been brainwashed into helping the Eggman Empire. Sonic had disappeared, saying he would do what he could to save Chaos._

_Elise banished the memories from her mind. She eagerly, yet sadly, awaited Capt. Tyrell's annual report. Maybe this time, the Captain would find news of Alex. Maybe he would still be alive. Maybe..._

_She caught her hand moving below the waistband of her pants. She chastised herself, embarrassed by her reaction to the thought of him. More and more, she found herself imagining various scenarios and possibilities of him. If the mere thought of him caused her hand to take a trip down south, how could she stand to be in the same room with him? She looked at the desk with the latest reports of Alliance activity. Next to all the papers, USB drives and ciphers sat Alex's P99. Capt. Tyrell had found it in Kingdom Valley, and had brought it back with him. She had decided to keep it as her personal sidearm. Receiving training from Major Cooke of the Royal Soleanna Army, she quickly found why he favored it. Compact, lightweight, easy to use, accurate, with a decent magazine size, she quickly became very proficient with the weapon. More important was the idea that she was carrying a small piece of him with her.  
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_The phone on the desk rang loudly. She didn't answer it, though. She knew anyone could be listening at any moment, so she never answered any phones. They always went straight to voicemail. It was Capt. Tyrell's number showing. Her heart raced in anticipation. "My lady, I have good news. One of my spies reported that he had seen a supply convoy moving through the jungles in the Mystic Ruins. He did not recognize them, so he followed them, and saw what looked like a human matching Alex's description being held in a glass tank. He attempted to follow them to their destination, but was sidetracked by some of Eggman's scouts. Milady, he is alive. I'm on my way to the Mystic Ruins now." The call ended._

_Elise sat on the couch, dazed. Was it really him? Was he alive? She couldn't be certain, but if Capt. Tyrell could find him, then they just might stand a chance of winning the war. She grabbed the P99, holstered it, and began to write messages to be delivered to Alliance communication centers, and distributed world wide. Hopefully, people would keep an eye out for him, and report back as soon as possible. She found a new resolve, and with that, a new hope. The tide would turn very soon._


	4. Happenings

...a cliche tall, evil villain chair. In the chair, sat a robot bearing an uncanny resemblance to Sonic. "Well done, you've made it. You should fulfill my requirements very well." "What's all this about?" His expression seemed to change, even though his face was entirely metal. "Is that how you humans thank someone who brought you back to life?" I stood, wondering how I had come back to life. It was possible, but Professor Warburton's theories were just that. Unless... "You found the notes, didn't you?" "What gave you the idea?" I walked closer, ready for an attack. Instead, he simply stood up and walked over to a table with all my gear. "I suppose an explanation is in order. You see, E Series Model 1, Designation: Metal Sonic. I was created by Dr. Robotnik, AKA, Dr. Eggman, for the sole purpose of destroying Sonic the Hedgehog, who you have no doubt met." I nodded.

"I have never once been able to defeat him. So, I have decided to rebel, simply because I was designed to constantly fail." I could understand. I had seen many exercises in futility over the years. "How long has it been since I died?" He turned to face me. "About five years. A lot has happened in that time. Eggman has managed to dominate the entire world. There are many groups resisting him. They have gathered into an Alliance, and are managing to hold him back, but not enough to remove him from power." "Why do you need me?" "Simple. You are unknown. If you begin fighting, we could defeat him, with the help of the Chaos Emeralds." As he said this, the main screen showed the Emeralds. I recognized them from my vision. They continued to beckon to me, but I ignored it for now. "What's in it for me?" "An escape. You will be allowed to die when Eggman is defeated. I don't think you can refuse this offer." I thought quickly. He was right. I made my decision.

"What's the first mission?"


	5. Objectives

I walked through Windy Valley, keeping watch for the Alliance fighters Metal had told me about. After I had talked to him, Mecha Sonic, another of Eggman's rebellious creations, gave me some more gear. They had replaced the steel plates in my jumpsuit with titanium, added grind lips to my boots, and replaced the shock absorbers and friction buffers. They had also given me an MTAR assault rifle and a Para Ord P14 pistol, as well as an ungodly amount of ammo for each. In my hands, they replaced the steel knuckles with titanium. They had also managed to remove many of the scars on my body, but a lot still showed, especially on my face. They had also managed to reactivate my infolink, a device in my brain which allowed me to receive mission data and communications directly from their computers. I had only allowed them so much access, however. They had also given me a radio, built into my hood, for backup communication. Overall, they had made many improvements, but I didn't buy into it. They had to have ulterior motives. I had decided to acquire the Chaos Emeralds for myself, not letting on that I had planned to use them for my own reasons.

A rustling in the trees ahead snapped me from my thoughts. I raised the MTAR. "Show yourself!" Three young men stepped out of the trees, weapons raised. "Who are you, and what are you doing here?" "I'm here to help you guys raid that factory." They lowered their weapons. "Thank god. We began to think we would never take that damn thing out." We began walking towards their camp. "What are the perimeter defenses?" "They've got tons of Egg Pawns patrolling constantly, infrared sensors, cameras, watch towers, the works." "Shouldn't be too hard. I've definitely encountered worse." We made it into the camp. Alliance soldiers milled about, preparing weapons, stocking ammunition, and readying vehicles. "We received a package from whoever sent you. Inside, there was what looked like a memory core. Any idea what it's for?" "I'm supposed to capture a certain robot as it comes off the line, and replace its memory core with that one." "Oh, yes. About that, the robot you are looking for is E-102 Gamma. They're bringing back the old E-100 series."

I prepared my weapons. "Which way to the factory?"


	6. New Allies

The gunshots outside became quieter as I entered the vents of the factory. I had to recover a particular model from the E-100 series line before it became active. My radio came online. "Bravo Six, this is India Three. We have entered the factory, and are proceeding to clear the south corridors now. Are you inside? Over." I put a hand to the earpiece. "India Three, this is Bravo Six. I have entered the factory. Begin moving towards the security station, and disable the detection system. Watch your fire, I'm in the vent right above you. Over." "Copy Bravo Six. Moving towards SecStat now. India Three out." "Thanks, India Three. Bravo Six out."

I moved through the vent, which was spacious enough for me to walk at a crouch. More gunfire erupted below me as the Alliance troops battled the security forces. I headed north, toward the production lines. I had to reach Finishing Station 7. That's where Gamma would be. My infolink came online. "Test, test. This thing on?" I stopped for a moment. "'Bout bloody time you got that on." "You realize I could explode this thing from here, right?" "No you can't. I removed that function years ago." There was a pause. "Whatever. You should be approaching the Finishing Stations soon. I've seen the detection system go offline, so you should be able to get to them without tripping the alarms. I can't seem to get the access codes for the service entrance, so you may need to find another way in." "No problem. I'm in the vents now. I should be able to use those to get inside. Why would robots need a vent system, anyway?" "We'll never know."

I dropped out of the vents into the service corridor behind the finishing station. "LADA, can you get those access codes?" She scanned a terminal. "Hmm... I should be able to, but it's gonna take a few minutes." I came to the door marked with a seven. "Okay, but hurry." The door suddenly flew open. "That was quick." "That wasn't me." My radio buzzed to life again. "Bravo Six, this is India Three. We've disabled the door locks in the service tunnels, but we've come under heavy fire and have to pull out. I'm afraid you're on your own. Over." "India Three, this is Bravo Six. That's good enough, I can take it from here. Get out while you can. Bravo Six out." "Copy Bravo Six. India Three out."

I entered the station. Several workers spotted me and picked up their weapons. I took them down quickly. "LADA, keep watch for any others, I'm gonna open it." I climbed on top of the rack that held Gamma. As soon as I did, it came online. "Intruder detected." It smashed me into the wall with it's missile launcher arm. "Acquiring target." "Lock failed! Run!" I sprang up as the missile blasted a hole in the wall behind me. "Targeting error." I jumped out through the hole. "Pursuing intruder." I ran through the trees, dodging missiles as I went. I spotted a hiding spot, sprinted to it, and waited.

_E-102 Gamma walked slowly through the jungle, keeping an eye for the intruder. He listened silently, as a bush rustled in front of him. "Target acquired." He emptied his entire load of missiles into the bush. He felt a sudden weight on his back. It was the intruder trying to open his casing. He bucked and thrashed, but the intruder held fast. "Yeah, whose your daddy?!" Suddenly, the casing opened, and Gamma shut down._

I uploaded the old core, and hopped down. Gamma came back online. "System updated. No memory in last 30 days found. This presents a problem." He turned and saw me. "Who are you?" "I'm the one who brought you back online." He appeared to consider this. "Do you work for Eggman?" "No. I'm working against him. He's taken over the planet. I'm trying to stop him." "Why have you reactivated me? I cannot run. My existence is harmful to the organic battery that is powering me." "Nope. You have an artificial source of power now. Listen, I need you to be a spy within the Eggman Empire. You need to inform me of anything that might be useful."

There was a rustling in the trees. We raised our weapons as a frog hopped out of the bushes. It appeared to retch, then vomited a strange gem, before it hopped away. "That was weird." I took a look at the gem. It was a Chaos Emerald. Another rustling caught my attention. "FROOOOOGGY! Where are you?!" A gigantic purple cat wearing a belt, sandals, fishing gloves, and carrying a fishing rod, ran into the clearing, and stopped to catch his breath. "Have you seen Froggy? He's my best pal." I pointed in the direction he had gone. "Thank you." The cat ran off.

"Anyway, I need you to contact my..." I paused to find the right words. "...employer with any info you can find. I've already installed the necessary programs." We heard another rustling farther off. "Scouts. You need to leave this area immediately. I will tell them you escaped. Go, now." I ran off, charging to top speed, as I headed back to the base. "Base one, this is Bravo Six. Mission Accomplished. I have obtained a Chaos Emerald, as well." "Good work. Get back here, I have some new orders for you."


	7. Gambling for the Fate of the World

_A knock at the door snapped Elise from her thoughts. It was Cpt. Tyrell. It had to be. He was the only one allowed to enter unless it was an emergency. Her heart raced as she walked across to the door. Twelve hours ago, she had sent out the bulletin regarding Alex. She hadn't slept since then. She secretly hoped Tyrell had brought him along. If so, she would have some major self control issues. She banished those thoughts, chastising herself for them and for what she had been doing to pass the time._

_"I am a stranger, travelling from the east, seeking that which is lost." It was the Captain's voice. "I am a stranger, traveling from the west. It is I whom you seek." Elise released the latches on the door. The Captain stood in the hallway panting, having no doubt rushed to the penthouse. "Milady, I have been to the Mystic Ruins. At the Alliance camp, I spoke with a soldier who says he worked with Alex. He says he helped them raid a factory in the area, and that he was successful in subverting the programming of E-102 Gamma. Though the factory is still active, he is beginning his campaign to end Eggman's rule, although he seems to operate on a different mandate."_

_Elise couldn't believe the news. "That's amazing! Thank you so much, Major. As soon as I can, I'll have you put in for the promotion." Tyrell's voice suddenly darkened. "Thank you, Milady, but we have bigger problems. Eggman has begun consolidating his power in Russia. We think he may be trying to gain access to the nuclear arsenal in that area." Elise could feel the color draining from her entire body. "How many nukes at stake?" "We aren't sure, bu we believe over a hundred thousand. To make matters worse, the Russian President refuses to hand the launch codes over to the Alliance."_

_Elise felt the same primal fear as she had felt in Kingdom Valley five years earlier, but like that time, she suddenly felt that same strange calm. "We don't have to worry. If that is the case, then Alex will no doubt be headed there, as well. Major Tyrell, your next assignment is to go to Russia, locate him, render assistance, and bring him back here immediately." The Major looked adamant. "Unfortunately, I cannot. In this dark hour, I must remain by your side until the threat has be neutralized. I will not leave you." Elise was angry. "Then you will maintain a close eye on the events in Russia over the next few days, or I will bust you down to Sergeant so fast, you will drop three phylums on the way. Do I make myself clear?" "Of course, Milady."_


	8. Author's Notes

Feb 17/14 9:20 PM: Here ya go. The first chapter of the next book. I'm gonna start the next chapter right away, but don't expect an update to this document. Also, I've had some questions regarding this document. Basically, it's a way for me to keep track of my updates, and also makes it easier to find a specific entry. For example, if someone is trying to refute something I have said, I can refer that person to the Author's Notes of a certain book. But if I don't keep them collected, then I have to remember which chapter of which book to refer them to. I'm too lazy to think that far, so this is easier. Well, better get that next chapter started.

Mar 30/14 6:35 PM: Procrastinators of the world, unite! Tomorrow... Seriously, though, it's about damn time I got this done. You will probably see the next chapter sometime tomorrow. But until then, shut up and stop begging me to write. I have serious procrastination issues. Maybe I should stop shouting at my imaginary readers. At any rate, there's chapter 3. Deal with it.

Apr 2/14 7:21 PM: Ok, took a few days longer than I thought, but here it is. Not much else to say other than I'm going on indefinite hiatus. It's not dead, just hibernating. I'll be back when I actually remember it, someday. I do plan on finishing it. I just don't know when.

May 31/14 7:52 PM: Wow, this is embarrassing. I have no idea how I managed to forget to update the story. So, I'm off the hiatus, but uploading will still be sporadic, since my work shifts change pretty often, and my sleep cycle is only just now adapting to it. You will see updates, but I don't know when.

May 31/14 8:18 PM: Well, there's chapter 4. Looks like I'm on a blitz for the next few hours. I'm gonna go get some snacks, then it'll be back to writing, and yes, I remembered to update the story. I'm not stupid, just brainless. I am well aware of what I just said.

May 31/14 11:48 PM: Or not. Gonna go to bed. Maybe continue tomorrow, or have a Zombies blitz. Haven't decided.

Aug 04/14 4:54 PM: Okay, here's chapter 6. This is not the end. I'm gonna finish the book today whether I like it or not. Things got pretty hairy. First I rolled my car, then I moved. Things are a little more stable now, so I should be able to get more done, but like I said, procrastination.

Aug 10/14 4:41 AM: And how. Procrastination wins again. Now, I've had two hours of sleep, and I am wide awake, with nothing to do. I may start the next book, but I have no idea. I'm hungry and I'm out of bacon and money, so leave me alone.


End file.
